Ore pulverizer



Sept. 10, 1963 G-.H. SCHAAL 3, 6

ORE PULVERIZER I Filed Sept. 21, 1959 s sheets sheet 2 JNVENTOR. 3GEORGE H. SCHAAL ATTORNEY G. H. SCHAAL ORE PULVERIZER Sept. 10, 1963 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 21, 1959 FIG- 4 INVENTOR. v GEORGE H. SCHAAL@Mh if ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,103,316 ORE PULVERIZER George H.Schaal, Englewood, Colo, assignor to Schaal Industries Corporation,Englewood, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed Sept. 21, 1959, Ser.No. 841,228 3 Claims. (Cl. 241258) The present invention relates to anorc pulverizer and, more particularly, to wet grinding apparatus of thetype useful in the processing of granular materials, such as metallicores.

Previously, many different types of grinding apparatus have beendesigned and built for the purposes of minerals beneficiation and forthe general grinding of solids materials to reduce the particle sizethereof. Several diiierent types of grinding apparatus have beendesigned for use with wet ores or have provided for the introduction ofliquid with the material to be ground. It is a purpose of the presentinvention to provide a new and improved type of grinding mechanism thatis especially adapted for the wet grinding of ores to efiect a particlesize reduction as necessary to free the values contained.

Another object of the invention is to provide a type of wet grindingapparatus which may be conveniently adjusted to deliver (ground pulphaving solids of various regulated particle size.

Another object of this invention is to provide grinding apparatus whichutilizes the combined forces of centrifugal and impulse reactions tomove solid materials along a size reducing path.

Further objects of the invention include the provision of a mechanicalstructure well suited to its intended use as wet grinding apparatus.

, Further objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the appended description and drawings, in which FIG. 1 is.a side elevation in partial section showing features of the overallassembled apparatus,

'FIG. 2 is a plan view showing features of a grinding plate,

FIG. 3 is a top view, taken along the line 33 of FIG. of a webreinforcing member disposed within the main ore delivery cylinder,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG.5, and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation taken along the center line of themain support standard.

Briefly stated, the present invention provides grinding apparatus inwhich the main operative elements are disposed about a vertical axis sothat ore or other materials to be ground are introduced downwardly andcentrally toward a rotating grinding member. The materials to be groundand liquid moves from the central point of introduction outwardlybetween adjustably spaced plates due to centrifugal forces derived firomthe rotating movement of one grinding member and impact forces delivereddirectly by said grinding member. The invention includes means for theadjustment of the clearance between rotating and stationary grindingplates and like-wise. includes rfurther features relating to thecooperative nature of grinding plate designs and material or pulp flowpatterns.

v A specific embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in FIG. 1 of which the overall relation of elements isdisclosed. Here it will be seen that the grinding apparatus to beidentified as an Ore Pulverizer is indicated by the numeral 11. Thepulverizer itself is made up of a frame 12 having a tie down flange 13and a substantially cylindrical hollow structure 14 which supports andholds a base plate 16. A column 3"l0 3"3'1 6 Patented Sept. 10, 1963 17,supported above the base 1 6, is of circular cross section and providessupport for a hollow cylindrical standard 18 which may be formedintegrally with said column 17 or separately therefrom as desired.Further, a reinforcing spider 19 is likewise disposed above the column17 and within said standard 18 rand -may be of separate or unitarystructure with respect thereto.

Openings 21 are provided in the lower portion of th cylindrical standard18, and such openings 21 are positioned to register with a downwardlyopen space 22 between the web elements 23 of the reinforcing spider 19.With this arrangement, ore and/ or liquid introduced downwardly into theopen cylinder 18 will be communicated through the spaces 22 and out theopenings 21.

In order to pulverize or grind the ore so delivered, separate grindingplates are provided which are positioned and adapted to receive the orepassing outwardly through the openings 21. A lower grinding plate 24- ispositioned on the base plate 16 and is held in place thereon by the tiedown bolts 26. As shown, the lower grinding plate 24 is prefer-ably ofsize and shape as to closely conform to the base plate 16 in order toproperly support the lower grinding plate 24 and to prevent any warpingthereof.

The mounting for the upper grinding plate 27 is considerably morecomplex, inasmuch as it is desired that this plate be allowed to rotateabove the lower or stationary grinding plate 2.4. In order to supportand to rotate said upper grinding plate 27, the cylindrical standard 18is used as a main support for holding the upper grinding plate 27 andassociated mechanisms in desired position. A satisfactory typestructural support is illustrated in FIG. 1, where it is seen that abearing surface 28 is provided on the upper edge 29 of the standard 18so that the hollow feed pipe 31 of a hopper 32 is in engagement with thebearing 28. Adjusting threads 33 are provided on the exterior surface ofthe :feed pipe 31 so that rotation of the hand wheel 34 causes theentire hopper 32 and feed pipe 31 to rotate thereby elevating orlowering a bearing sleeve member 36.

Since the standard 18 and the bearing sleeve member 36 are in essencetelescoping members, rotation of the hand wheel 34 in clockwisedirection will cause the telescopic extension of the bearing sleevemember 36 with respect to the cylindrical standard 18. In order thatdirect linear telescoping will result, a keyway and key system 37 isprovided between the mating surfaces of the bearing sleeve member 36 andstandard 18.- With the use of such key system 37, the bearing sleevewill be rec-iprocated up or down with the adjustment of the hand wheel34. I Top and bottom taper roller bearings 38 and 39, respectively, aremounted on the bearing sleeve 36 for reciprocal movement (therewith. Thebottom bearing 39 is held in place by the shoulder 41 at the lower endof the bearing sleeve member 36, and the top bearing 38 is held in placeby a top bearing lock nut 42 engaged with the external threads 43 on thebearing sleeve member 36.

A V belt pulley drive member 44 is mounted on the free turning races ofthe top and bottom hearings, and in turn the top grinding plate 27 and abearing cover 47 are attached to the V belt drive pulley 4-4 by means ofthrough bolts 46 and 48. Since the bearing cover 47 and bearing sleevemember 36 will rotate one with respect to the other, a grease seal 51 isprovided for engagement with the exterior surface of the: bearing sleevemember 36. Additional grease seals, packing and gaskets may be providedto secure and isolate all interior spaces 50 so that such spaces may beused for the retention of grease and lubricant and to prevent theingress of pulverized materials.

A torous shaped drain trough or launder 52 is provided about theperiphery of the pulverizer '11 and adapted and positioned to receivematerials passing outwardly between the upper and lower grinding plates27 and 24. Since the main purpose of the described apparatus is todeliver a ground or pulverized material that is of regulated size tosaid trough 52, some of the operative features of an embodiment of theinvention may next be described.

First, it will be seen in FIG. 1 that ores that are to be ground aredelivered from a chute 55 into the hopper 32 where they are rcommingledwith liquid or water delivered by the pipe 53. The commingled wetmaterials constituting a pulp are delivered downwardly through the feedpipe 31 of the hopper 32 and into the top of the upright cylindricalstandard 18. From this position the materials pass through the spaces 22between the web members 23 and out through the openings 21 at the lowerend of the cylindrical standard 18. As they pass out through theseopenings, they are met and engaged by the grinding plates 24 and 27.

In order to effect the desired grinding of the ore, cooperativelydesigned teeth members on the grinding plates 24 and 27 are provided toengage and move granules of the ore against each other and againstcooperative tooth members of the opposite grinding plate. In addition to.the movement of the ore resulting from the impact impingement betweenthe ore particles and the grinding teeth, the pressure of the waterintroduced with the ore and also the centrifugal forces derived from theupper moving plate 27 is used to move the ore particles outwardly inirregular pattern toward and past progressively diminishing intersticesbetween separate teeth of one plate or between the teeth of separateplates. Since the ore particles will be restrained from moving outwardlyuntil they are of size small enough to pass between the grinding plates,a build-up of particles in such interstices may result. This build-up ofparticles, however, likewise serves a beneficial purpose, inasmuch assome surfaces of the particle are likely under such conditions to beexposed to the destructive impact of an approaching grinding platetooth.

A tooth pattern for an acceptable type of lower grinding plate 24 isshown in FIG. 2 and in cross-section in FIG. 1. This type of plate isintended for usage with an upper grinding plate 27 substantially similarto that shown in which the teeth 54 on the upper grinding plate 27 areformed by a plurality of concentric grooves 56. Since the grooves are ofdiminishing depth outwardly along the sloped contact face 57 of thegrinding plate 27, the concentric teeth will likewise be of diminishingsize. The downwardly sloped face 57 described corresponds with thesimilarly sloped top face of the lower grinding plate 24 so thatgravitational forces acting on the ore materials and liquid making upthe ore pulp will likewise be effective to move the materials outwardlydown and along the desired grinding path.

In FIG. 2 the grinding teeth 58 are shown to be of substantially Vshaped structure raised above the bed surface 59 of the lower grindingplate 24. At least two intermeshing rows of teeth of this design areprovided and the teeth are cooperatively spaced so that a pathway fromthe open center 61 of the plate 24 outwardly is defined. As the orematerials are reduced in size, they pass outwardly until they are beyondthe outer row of the teeth 58 to be thereafter received in the cutgrooves 62 of the outer rim 63. Since it has been found that good andregulatable particle reduction may be obtained by grooved plates of thisnature, a corresponding rim 64 having similarly cut grooves (not shown)is provided on the upper grinding plate 27. When the distance betweenthe grinding plates is properly adjusted by the movement of the handwheel 34 and the reciprocal sleeve bearing member 36, the size ofparticles passing outwardly between the grinding plates may be adjustedand regulated so that the pulverized ore received in the trough orlaunder 52 will be as desired.

Further and additional types of tooth patterns for the grinding plates24 and 27 may be used to obtain different desired grindingcharacteristics. In general, all tooth patterns will be cooperativelyarranged so that the particles of material passing outwardly between thestationary and rotating grinding plates will be gradually reduced insize until delivered to the launder 52.

Since it is contemplated that the ore pulverizer shown and described maybe useful for both the Wet or dry grinding of various other materials,it is obvious that certain changes may be made to accommodate suchspecific materials. Where fibrous or pulpy types of materials are to behandled, it is possible that gravitational and centrifugal forces alonewill not be adequate to move the materials through the flow channels ofthe described mechanism. If so, pressure pumping may be applied at thehopper 32 or feed pipe 31, or a separately powered impeller may bebearinged in the base of the column 17 with the blades of the impellerpositioned to rotate within the hollow cylindrical standard 18 andadjacent to the openings 21 therein.

Further modifications and changes of the described apparatus arepossible without departure from the scope of the present invention asdefined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the grinding of materials in fluid suspensioncomprising a base frame, an upright standard on said base frame ofhollow cylindrical upwardly open form to receive said materials andfluid, said standard providing circumferential openings adjacent a lowerportion thereof for the discharge of said materials and fluid, acylindrical sleeve member mounted for reciprocal telescoping movementwith respect to said standard, bearings on the exterior surface of saidsleeve member, rotary drive means supported by said bearings and adaptedfor rotation about a vertical axis, an adjusting mechanism mounted onsaid upright standard, bearing means intermediate said adjusting meansand upright standard permitting rotational movement therebetween,cooperative thread means on said adjusting mechanism and sleeve memberwhereby notation of one of said members will cause relative telescopingmovement therebetween to adjust the position of said sleeve member, thebearings thereon and said rotary drive means, a lower grinding platesupported by said base frame, an upper grinding plate thereabove, meanssecuring said upper grinding plate directly to said rotary drive meansfor rotational and translational movement therewith whereby therotational and inertial forces of said drive means serve to regulatemovement of said upper grinding plate, and tooth members on saidgrinding plates defining flow passages of diminishing size outwardlyfrom a position in registration with the openings in said uprightstandard, whereby said fluid serves to regulate the temperature of saidbearings, bearing means and grinding plates.

2. Apparatus for the grinding of materials in fluid comprising la baseframe, an upright standard on said base frame of hollow cylindricalupwardly open form, said standard providing circumferential openingsadjacent a lower portion thereof, a cylindrical sleeve member mountedfor reciprocal telescoping movement with respect to said standard, akeyway and key intermediate said upright standard and cylindrical sleevemember for directing said telescoping movement, hearings on the exteriorsurface of said sleeve member, rotary drive means supported by saidbearings and adapted for rotation about a vertical axis, a feed deliverypipe mounted on said upright standard with the central openings of eachin full communication from one to the other, bearing means intermediatesaid feed pipe and upright standard permitting rotational movementtherebetween, cooperative thread means on said feed pipe and sleevemember whereby rotation of one of said members will cause relativetelescoping movement therebetween to adjust the position of said sleevemember, the bearings thereon and said rotary drive means, a lowergrinding plate supported by said base frame, an

upper grinding plate thereabiove, means securing said upper grindingplate directly to said rotary drive means for rotational andtranslational movement therewith, tooth members on said grinding platesdefining passages of diminishing size outwardly firom a position inregistration with the openings in said upright standard, and a teeddelivery hopper mounted on said feed delivery pipe for the introductionof materials to be ground and fluid, said hopper, feed delivery pipe,upright standard and the openings in said upright standard being in fulloommunioation with the passages defined by said grinding plates and thetooth members thereon, whereby said fluid serves to regulate thetemperature of said bearings, bearing means and grinding plates.

3. Apparatus for the grinding or materials in fluid suspensioneornprising a base frame, an upright standard on said base iii-lame ofhollow cylindrical upwardly open dorm, said standard providingcircumferential openings adjacent a lower portion thereof, a cylindrioalsleeve member mounted for reciprocal telescoping movement with respectto said standard, a keyway intermediate said upright standard randcylindrical sleeve member for directing said telescoping movement,bearings on the exterior surfiaoe of said sleeve member, rotary drivemeans supported by said bearings and adapted for notation about avertical axis, a feed delivery pipe mounted on said upright standardwith the central openings of each in flow communication from one to theother for the introduction and guided flow of materials and fluidthrough said upright standard for controlling the temperature of saidstandard, cylindrioal sleeve and the bearings thereon, bearing meansintermediate said feed pipe and upright standard permitting rotationalmovement therebetween, external threads on said feed delivery pipe,mating internal threads on said cylindrical sleeve member wherebyrotation of one or said members will cause relative telescoping movementtherebetween to ad just the position of said sleeve member, the bearingsthereon and said rotary drive means, a lower gninding plate supported bysaid base frame, an upper grinding plate thereabove, means securing saidupper grinding plate directly to said rotary drive means for rotationaland translational movement therewith whereby the rotational and inertialforces of said drive means serve to regulate movement of said uppergrinding plate, and tooth members on said grinding plates definingpassages of diminishing size outwardly cfirorn a position inregistration with the openings in said upright standard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS942,424 Warm Dec. 7, 1909 2,716,926 Armstrong Sept. 6, 1955 2,834,555Pugh May 13, 1958 2,838,247 Hauser June 10, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,955Great Britain Dec. 3, 1908

1. APPARATUS FOR THE GRINDING OF MATERIALS IN FLUID SUSPENSIONCOMPRISING A BASE FRAME, AN UPRIGHT STANDARD ON SAID BASE FRAME OFHOLLOW CYLINDRICAL UPWARDLY OPEN FORM TO RECEIVE SAID MATERIALS ANDFLUID, SAID STANDARD PROVIDING CIRCUMFERENTIAL OPENINGS ADJACENT A LOWERPORTION THEREOF FOR THE DISCHARGE OF SAID MATERIALS AND FLUID, ACYLINDRICAL SLEEVE MEMBER MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCAL TELESCOPING MOVEMENTWITH RESPECT TO SAID STANDARD, BEARINGS ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAIDSLEEVE MEMBER, ROTARY DRIVE MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID BEARINGS AND ADAPTEDFOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, AN ADJUSTING MECHANISM MOUNTED ONSAID UPRIGHT STANDARD, BEARING MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID ADJUSTING MEANSAND UPRIGHT STANDARD PERMITTING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN,COOPERATIVE THREAD MEANS ON SAID ADJUSTING MECHANISM AND SLEEVE MEMBERWHEREBY ROTATION OF ONE OF SAID MEMBERS WILL CAUSE RELATIVE TELESCOPINGMOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN TO ADJUST THE POSITION OF SAID SLEEVE MEMBER, THEBEARINGS THEREON AND SAID ROTARY DRIVE MEANS, A LOWER GRINDING PLATESUPPORTED BY SAID BASE FRAME, AN UPPER GRINDING PLATE THEREABOVE, MEANSSECURING SAID UPPER GRINDING PLATE DIRECTLY TO SAID ROTARY DRIVE MEANSFOR ROTATIONAL AND TRANSLATIONAL MOVEMENT THERE WITH WHEREBY THEROTATIONAL AND INERTIAL FORCES OF SAID DRIVE MEANS SERVE TO REGULATEMOVEMENT OF SAID UPPER GRINDING PLATE, AND TOOTH MEMBERS ON SAIDGRINDING PLATES DEFINING FLOW PASSAGES OF DIMINISHING SIZE OUTWARDLYFROM